Rotary scoop type machine for handling bulk materials



Oct. 13,1942.

C. S. JOHNSON ROTARY SCOOP TYPE MACHINE FOR HANDLING BULK MATERIALSFiled Sept. 14, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l m a 0 4 2% MW f1 A 7 ...I. ../M 0I A T 8 m w- 5 Z \|.u|! Ll.

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Oct. 13, 1942. c. s. JOHNSON 2,298,566

ROTARY SCOOP TYPE MACHINE FOR HANDLING BULK MATERIALS Filed Sept. 14,1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g lzarks 647072723022 &0, figmdzw f orlzgs-Patented Oct. 13;, 1942 ROTARY SCOOP TYPE MACHINE FOR HAN- DLING BULKMATERIALS Charles S. Johnson, Champaign, 111., assignor to The C. S.Johnson Company, Champaign, 111., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationSeptember 14, 1940, Serial No. 356,744

8 Claims.

The invention relates to a novel rotary scoop type machine for handlingloose bulk materials. Machines embodying the present invention findparticular utility in extracting bulk dry cement from storage piles, asfor example, in unloading such material from a box car. Though thepresently described machine has been designed to meet the exigencies ofhandling bulk cement, it can, if desired, be used for handling manyother bulk materials such as seed grain. 10 any time during the normaluse of the machine.

Dry cement iscommonly shipped in loose bulk Another object is to providea machine of the form in box cars, and considerable delay and classindicated embodying a loading mechanism expense have heretofore beenentailed in unloadin the form of a rotary scoop, and in which the ingit. The common practice has been to proelements of the machine are soarranged that vide a small, wheeled cart into which a workman after themachines container is full, any addishovels the cement. The cart is thenwheeled tional material fed to it by the loading mechaout of the car,its contents dumped into a receivnism will. merely be carried away in aharmless ing hopper and the cart returned for reloading. overrun. Thisagain is a feature which particu- Simply a recitation of the processmakes clear larly adapts the machine for use by an unskilled its almostpainful slowness. What is not so ob- 2O laborer since it eifectuallyprevents damage to vious, however, are the difiiculties incident to themachine that might otherwise result from such handling of dry bulkcement arising from inadvertent overloading. the nature of the materialitself. Being a very Still another object is to provide a machine finelydivided, powdery material, it has an exof the character indicatedembodying a novel treme tendency to dust and aerate. As to dusta dhighly effective dust Shielding arrangement, ing, when the material isdisturbed by shoveling, thereby particularly adapting it for use inhanit rises in clouds of dust, choking the workmen dling dry cement. g oand covering everything in the vicinity with a The invention alsoresides in various strucfilm of dust. As to aeration, it should be bornetural improvements and correlated arrangements in mind that the fluffyaerated cement slides of the parts of the machine by means of whicheasily off a shovel so that only a very limited simplicity and low costof construction are comquantity can be handled per scoop, therebyrebined with extreme ruggedness and efiiciency cf tarding what is atbest a slow process. of course operation. these same dimculties arisewhenever bulk ce- Further objects and advantages of the invenment isbeing shifted by a hand shovel process, tion will become apparent as thefollowing dewhether when unloading it from a box car or scriptionproceeds taken in connection with the under some other circumstances.accompanying drawings in which:

Generally stated it is an object of the present Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a rotary scoop invention to provide a rotary scoop type ofaptype bulk material handling machine, embodying paratus for digging outa quantity of bulk ce-, my invention. ment or like loose bulk materialfrom a pile and Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation of thematransporting it, while obviating the dimculties chine' of Fig. 1, witha portion of the maincident to dusting and aeration referred to chinesectioned substantially along the line 22 above. in Fig. 1.

Another object is to provide a rotary type Fig. 3 is a partiallongitudinal sectional view of scoop machine-for the purpose indicatedwhose the machine taken substantially along the line loading mechanismis power driven and which 33 in Fig.2. can be easily wheeled about fromplace to place Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail perspective view where itsuse is required. 0 of one of the digger scoops of the rotary scoop as-Another object is to provide such a rotary type machine with a powerdrive therefor and which is of such character that when the container ofthe machine is loaded the machine can be shifted to a place of dischargefor the container, and

its load dumped, without having to shut off or disable the power driveof the loading mechanism. This is a particularly desirable feature inthat it makes it possible for an ordinary unskilled laborer, having noknowledge of manipulation of the drive mechanism, to operate the machinesatisfactorily. The engineer or skilled supervisor on the job can startthe drive mechanism and after that the laborer merely lets it runwithout having to stop it or declutch it at sembly.

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevations of the machine, with its forwardportion longitudinally sectioned as in Fig. 3, showing the machinerespectively during its loading and unloading operations.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will hereindescribe in detail, the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understoodthat I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific formdisclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention.

the machine has been shown (Figs. 1 and 2) as mounted on a pair of cartwheels I0 and a rear caster wheel II so that it can be moved about withgreat facility even in confined spaces. In use it is wheeled up to apile of material (see Fig. 5) into which it eats its way, filling acontainer included in the machine. When full, the machine is wheeledover to a discharge hopper I2 (see Fig. 6) and into which the containeris dumped. The digging or loading apparatus of the machine is powerdriven so that the loading of the machine is much faster and lesslaborious than the hand shoveling of a load into a cart and, as willappear more particularly below, the whole operation is carried out withmuch less dusting and difficulty with aeration of such materials as drycement than is possible when shoveling the material by hand.

Referring more particularly to the instant machine, it comprises aload-container in the form of a cylindrical steel drum I4 (Figs. 2 and3) coaxial with a horizontal trunnion shaft I5. This latter shaft passesthrough hubs I6 bolted to the end walls of the drum I4 and keyed to thetrunnion shaft so that the drum turns with the latter. A largeperipheral opening I! is provided in the drum extending over about 60degrees of the latters periphery. When the drum I4 is in what may betermed its upright or filling position, shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and inwhich the opening I1 is at the top of the drum, the opening ispositioned for gravity discharge into it of material supplied from therotary scoop mechanism described hereinafter. Alternatively, when thedrum I4 is rotated through 180 degrees to the dumping position shown inFig. 6 the opening I! constitutes a discharge opening at the bottom ofthe drum through which the drum contents is dumped by gravity flow.

M as described above, is loosely journaled in bearings I8 at the forwardends of longitudinal side members I9 of a suitable cart frame designatedgenerally as 20. journaled at 2I on the frame members I9 (see Figscl and3) just to the rear of the trunnion shaft I5, while the caster wheel IIsupports the rear end of the frame. A handle 22, rigid with the frame23, projects from the rear of the latter in a position convenient to theoperator. By virtue of the cart mounting described, the operator canpush the vehicle around to any desired position with great ease and hecan also tilt the nose or front end of the machine down when necessary,simply by lifting on the handle 22.

Encircling the drum I4, and also carried by the trunnion shaft I5, is arotary scoop assembly designated generally as 23, which constitutes, in

effect, an outer drum in which the inner drum I4 is nested. Thisassembly comprises a pair of disk-shaped sheet-metal end-plates 24,coaxial with the shaft I5 and loosely journaled on it by hubs 25. Aseries of digger scoops 26 are arranged in an endless series encirclingthe drum The cart wheels I0 are i I4. As best shown in Fig. 4, thesescoops are made of sheet metal, being trough-shaped and having flangesat their opposite ends Welded to the end plates 24. The outer or diggingedges of the scoops 26 are preferably fluted as indicated at 21. Each ofthe scoops faces in the direction of rotation of the assembly 23, thatis, clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3. It should also be observed that theinner walls of the scoops 26 are slanted inward toward the drum I4 sothat as the scoops pass over the top of the drum I4, in registry withthe opening II, the contents of the successive scoops will readily slideby gravity into the drum.

The scoop assembly 23, which is freely revoluble on the trunnion shaftI5, is driven by an actuator herein shown (Figs. 1 and 3) in the form ofa small gasoline engine 28 mounted on the frame 20. The engine 28 drivesthe scoop assembly 23 through a sprocket 29 (see Fig. 2) fixed to theadjacent one of the hubs 25. A chain 30 is trained over this sprocketand over a small sprocket 3| journaled on the cart frame 23. A largerspeed reduction sprocket 32 is fast on the sprocket 3| and is, in turndriven by an endless chain 33 trained over a power take off sprocket 34on the engine.

Also mounted on the cart frame 20 is a hand crank 35 for tilting thedrum I4 (Fig. 1). This hand crank is fixed to a small sprocket 36engaging an endless roller chain 31 trained over a sprocket 38 (see Fig.2) keyed to the trunnion shaft I5 at the end thereof opposite thescoopdriving sprocket 29. Thus, by revolving the crank 35 the drum I4can be turned between its loading and unloading positions shownrespectively in Figs. 5 and 6.

A dust guard shrouds the top of the rotary scoop assembly 23. This dustguard comprises an armate sheet metal plate 39 supported by two pairs ofbracket arms 49 (Figs. 1 and 2) projecting upward from blocks 4|journaled on the trunnion shaft I5. The rear portion of the dust guardplate 39 is fixed to a transverse angle iron 42 (Fig. 3) on the cartframe 28. The tail of the guard plate 39 projects down well below thehorizontal center line of the rotary scoop assembly. It will be observedthat the imperforate sheet metal end plates 24 of the scoop assemblycooperate with the guard plate 39 to substantially totally enclose therevolving series of scoops except for the lower and forward portion ofthe scoops path where they bite into the pile of material being loaded(see Fig. 5). Particularly well enclosed is the portion of the path ofthe rotary scoops 26 at which they dump their contents into the drum I4.In this way substantially all of the dust stirred up by the machineduring its operation is confined within the housing comprised of themembers 24 and 39. An observation port 43 is provided in the dust guardplate 39 and arranged to be closed by a hinged door 44, so that uponopening this door the operator can observe the amount of material, ifany, which is being carried by the scoops 26 past the filling opening I!in the drum M.

In the operation of the machine described the engine 28 is started andthereafter runs continuously, it being unnecessary to stop the rotaryscoop assembly 23 even when the drum I4, which it encircles, is beingemptied. This is particularly advantageous with respect to the class ofworkmen required as operators. In view of the fact that the engine canand does run continuously the operator need have no skill inmanipulating it, as it can be started by the foreman or other skilledsupervisor and left running throughout the working day. All the operatorhimself has to be able to do is to wheel the cart around in moving themachine into Working and discharge position and to turn the crank 35 fordumping the load and returning the drum to filling position.

After the engine 28 has been started as noted above, the operator wheelsthe machine up to a pile of dry cement 45 (Fig. or similar loose bulkmaterial, so that the revolving series of scoops 26 dig their way intothe pile. As each loaded scoop passes over the upwardly facing openingI! in the drum I4 it dumps its contents through this opening into thedrum as shown. The opening I1 is long enough, circumferentially of thedrum, that the scoops will be fully emptied before they pass out ofregistry with the opening. The operator pushes the cart forward fromtime to time as the pile of material 45 is eaten away. Even though ahighly aerated, fiulTy material is being handled, the rapidly revolvingseries of scoops quickly load it into the container since with such anarrangement a small amount of material per scoop is a much less seriousmatter than in hand shoveling. The operator is apprised of completion offilling of the drum I4 vby observing the scoops or buckets 26 throughthe port 43 in the dust guard. The scoops will be empty when they passby the observation port until the drum is filled. After it is filled,however, material is carried on around the drum periphery by the scoops,being readily visible to the operator, so that he realizes the drum isoverrunning and is full. If he should fail to comprehend this factquickly no harm is done for the overrun is simply carried on. around bythe scoops. This observation arrangement for determining indirectly whenthe drum is full is particularly advantageous since the drum orcontainer I4 is located right in the heart of the revolving scoopmechanism and is, therefore, difiicult of direct observation.

As to the filling of the drum I4, it should be observed that a pluralityof vertical baffle plates or bars 46 (Figs. 3 and 5) are arranged toextend longitudinally of the drum across the opening I1. These bafflesare spaced from each other as shown and are of sufficient vertical depthso that each bafile, beginning at the center of the opening, extendswell below the upper edge of the next adjacent baffle. Consequently asthe level of the cement rises in the drum I4 it cannot flow out betweenany pair of the baflles without moving down beneath one of the bafilesand up over the next adjacent one. In this way substantially completefilling of the drum is insured, thereby increasing its capacityapproximately ten to fifteen percent as compared to a drum unequippedwith such a baflle arrangement.

After the drum I4 has been filled as described above, the operatorwheels the machine over to a point to which the drum I4 overlies thedischarge hopper I2 (Fig. 6). Thereupon he turns the hand crank 35 torevolve the drum I4 through substantially 180 degrees and its contentspours out through the opening I! into the hopper. As to this dumpingoperation it will be noted that the scoops 26 are spaced apart so thatthe overflowing material can pass between them. Since the scoops 26 arerotating, some of the discharged material may be picked up by thescoops, but even so, it is simply carried around the drum I4 anddischarged into the hopper I2 at the completion of the revolution.Consequently the drum can be easily and fully discharged, even thoughthe scoops continue to revolve.

In cleaning up the material on the floor at the base of the pile, theoperator lifts on the handle 22, tilting the forward end or nose of thecart down. This lowers the series of scoops, whose center of rotation iseccentric to the axis of the cart wheels Ill, so that the scoops can bebrought down until they scrape along the floor or ground, cleaning upthe last remnants of the material being handled.

I claim:

1. A- rotary scoop type machine for handling loose bulk materialcomprising, in combination, a wheeled cart having a horizontal trunnionshaft thereon, a container fixed to said shaft for oscillation therewithand disposed with the shaft projecting through it, a plurality ofscoops, a support freely journaled on said shaft and carrying saidscoops in an endless circular series encircling said container, poweractuating means carried by said cart, means including a sprocket wheelloosely journaled on one end portion of said shaft and fixed to saidrevoluble support and having an endless chain trained thereover forconnecting said power actuating means in driving relation with saidsupport to revolve the latter, said scoops being positioned on saidsupport to dump their contents onto the container as they successivelypass over its top, said container having a peripheral opening therein,and means for turning said shaft to shift said container between afilling position in which said opening is located on the upper side ofthe container and a discharge position in which said opening is on thelower side of the container, said turning means comprising a hand leverand a second sprocket wheel fixed to the end portion of said shaftopposite to the one first mentioned and a second endless chain trainedthereover for connecting said hand lever to said second sprocket wheelto turn the shaft.

2. In a machine of the type described, the combination with a batchcontainer having an opening therein and shiftable from a position inwhich said opening is located near the top of the container, forreceiving material dumped therethrough into the container, to a positionin which said opening is lowered, for gravity discharge through it ofthe container contents; of means for feeding material to said containeropening when the latter is in its first mentioned position, poweractuated means for driving said feed means substantially continuously,and selectively operable means for shifting said container between thepositions set forth independently of the operation of said poweractuated means.

3. Ina machine of the type set forth, the combination of a rotary scoopassembly comprising a pair of substantially imperforate disk shaped endplates rotatably mounted in coaxial spaced relation and a plurality ofscoops mounted in a circu lar series between said end plates, acontainer nested within said assembly and having an opening thereinpositioned to receive the contents of successive scoops passing over itas said scoop assembly is revolved, a stationary dust guardsubstantially covering the top and rear side of the periphery of saidrotary scoop assembly, and said dust guard having an observation porttherein located to register with said scoops at a point after they havepassed over said opening in the container.

4. A machine of the type set forth comprising, in combination, atwo-wheeled cart, a batch container mounted on said cart and having afilling opening therein, a rotary scoop assembly comprising a circularlydisposed series of scoops and a revoluble support therefor, said seriesof scoops being disposed to encircle said container peripherally andpass successively over said filling opening during the rotation of saidrevoluble support, means on the cart journaling said support for r0-tation about a horizontal axis adjacent to but slightly forward of theparallel axis of the cart wheels, whereby the cart may be tiltedforwardly about the axis of its wheels to lower said scoop assemblyrelative to the ground, means on said cart for revolving said rotaryscoop assembly, and a caster wheel arranged to supportthe rear portionof said cart. I

5. A machine of the type set forth comprising, in combination, atwo-wheeled cart, a rotary scoop assembly comprising a circularlydisposed series of scoops and a revoluble support therefor,

means on the cart journaling said support for rotation about ahorizontal axis eccentric with respect to the parallel axis of the cartwheels, whereby the cart may be tilted about the axis of its wheels toraise or lower said scoop assembly relative to the ground, and means onsaid cart for revolving said rotary scoop assembly.

6. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination oi agenerally cylindrical container drum disposed with its longitudinal axishorizontal and having a peripheral opening in its upper side, aplurality of scoops, means supporting said scoops in an endless seriesencircling the drum peripherally for revolving movement about the latterto dump their contents successively into said opening as they pass overit, and a plurality of vertically disposed baflie plates extendinglongitudinally of the drum across said opening, said plates being-spacedlaterally from each other and disposed with the lower edge of each platewell below the upper edge of the next adjacent plate progressing in adirection downward about the periphery of said drum at the opening.

7. In a machine of the type described, the combination of a generallycylindrical container drum disposed with its longitudinal axishorizontal, a rotary scoop assembly comprising a circular series ofscoops arranged to encircle the periphery of the drum and revolve aboutthe latter, said drum having a peripheral opening in its upper sideforming an entryway for material dumped into it from successive scoopspassing over the same, and baffle means at said opening for preventingover-running of material from said opening until the drum is completelyfull.

3. A machine of the type described comprising, in combination, a wheeledcart, two coaxial drums nested one insidethe other, the inner drumconstituting a batch container and having a peripheral opening therein,the outer drum comprising a circular series of scoops encircling theperiphery of the inner drum and positioned to discharge their contentssuccessively through said opening into the inner drum as they pass overthe same, means supporting said drums on said cart for independentrotary movement about their coincident axes, power actuated meansmounted on said cart for substantially continuously revolving said outerdrum, and manually operable means for swinging said inner drum intoeither a filling position in which its opening faces upward for thereception of material from said scoops or in a discharge position inwhich said opening faces downward for gravity discharge of the contentsof the inner drum.

CHARLES S. JOHNSON.

